Knitting machine



Aug. 20, 1940. R. H. LAWSON ET AL 2,211,785

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 28, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 20, 1940. R. H. LAWSON ET AL 2,211,785

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 28, 1956 e Sheets-Sheet 2 F1612. FIG-3.

H is 3 I94 I35 EVE/V7025? BE AMAWMA; [IA/76266552512 ARIA/J1? 6 494 225) .7 KQOM ArTfyT Aug. 20, 1940. R. H. LAWSON ET AL KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 28, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 wa 5% ME My; fw n Aug. 20, 1940. R. H. LAWSON ET AL 2,211,785

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 28, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aug. 20, 1940. R. H. LAWSON El AL 2,211,785

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 28, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 [Mm/702$ EflEE'JPTlZAWfl/Z [525461767 35511; 22701? 611M422 .7 6 0 M 1940- R. H. LAWSON ET AL 2,211,785

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 28, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Aug. 20, 1940 KNITTING MACHINE Robert H. Lawson, Pawtucket, Isaac H. C. Green,

Central Falls, and Arthur 0. Langley, Pawtucket, R. 1., assignors to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 28, 1936, Serial No. 117,760

15 Claims.

This case has to do with the control and selection of knitting instrumentalities such as sinkers for the purpose of producing ornamental fabric. sinkers are commonly employed in the production of plated and reverse plated fabrics to obtain certain pattern effects, in accordance with the so-called methods of sinker reverse plating. The mechanism herein disclosed is a distinct improvement over that of Patent 2,052,777 granted in the name of one of the joint inventors in this case. The present case provides for a simpler and more efllcient actuation of the sinkers for performing their reverse plating functions and further, provides for many more steps of pattern selection than that of the patent above indicated without increase in the size or weight of the whole sinker and selecting assembly.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation showing one side of the machine to which our invention is applied illustrating mechanism for racking the pattern drum and other mechanism for control of a horizontal striper such as may be used in conjunction with the plating and reverse plating control;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite side of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the manner in which the cam drum functions to control certain phases of the operation of the pattern mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a plan of the general assembly including the sinker head, selecting instrumentalities, pattern drum and attached parts;

Fig. 5 is a detail view partly in section, illustrating selecting plungers, a sinker and its cooperating jack in a position prior to selection for reverse plating;

Fig, 6 shows the mechanism of Fig. 5 as seen from a difierent angle, also the manner in which selecting instrumentalities are to be withdrawn at the knitting of certain parts of a stocking;

Fig. 7 is a plan of the sinker head assembly showing the cams for functioning upon sinkers and sinker jacks, certain parts being cut away for purposes of clearness;

Fig. 8 is a section showinga detail of the pating progressive stages in their control for reverse plating; and

Fig. 16 is a section showing cam I62 and the sinkers and jack at that position.

The present invention is mainly concerned with the control of sinkers for kntting plated and reverse plated fabric as disclosed in Patent 2,052,- 777, and one preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated herein. Sinkers having suitable throats for the control of two or more yarns during normal plating and nibs over which yarns may be reversed in reverse plating are to be employed; these sinkers must be controlled prior to the drawing of stitches in a manner similar to that in said patent so that a stitch will be drawn either in front of the nib or behind the nib for the purpose described. Preferably, although not necessarily, disconnected jacks will be used for this control of sinkers during reverse plating, said sinkers being controlled as in all normal instances for the performance of their functions except when they are to influence the drawing of reversely plated stitches. The construction and operation of the sinkers, jacks, cams and selecting mechanism are such that a particularly smooth and easy movement of all parts has been obtained without increase in the size of any of the instrumentalities over that prevailing in the mechanism of the cited patent, many more steps of selection have been provided thus increasing the pattern scope of the machine without increase in the height of cylinder, size and weight of the sinker assembly or selecting mechanism. These are particularly desirable results and had been impossible of attainment with the mechanism of Patent 2,052,777 except by corresponding increases in size and weight of all elements. For purposes of illustration a machine is herein shown embodying 25 steps of selection which compares in size to the 12-step machine shown in said patent.

Now referring to the figures of drawings, a knitting machine such as a hosiery machine is shown having a frame I, cylinder 2, circular base 3, cam plate 4, latch ring post 5, and a conventional latch ring 6. The usual cam shaft 1 has cam drums and cams mounted thereon for control of all the common functions of the machine and for certain other functions incidental to the mechanism herein disclosed which will be described in turn. A sinker assembly is generally indicated at 8 which carries independently movable sinkers, jacks for the sinkers and cams for controlling said sinkers and their jacks. The cams are fixed within the usual sinker cap which remains stationary during rotary knitting and which oscillates to and fro through a small angle during reciprocatory knitting. The reciprocatory movements of this cap are ve by Contact with a friction bumper bracket indicated at 9, Fig. 2, and fully disclosed and claimed in copending application Serial No. 45,936, now Patent No. 2,116,632.

Now referring to Figs. 1 and 4, a support I0 is fixed to one side of the circular base and carries a mounting for rotation of a drum II upon which are fixed a plurality of discs having butts thereon which are removable as by breaking or the like. These discs will preferably correspond in number to the number of selective butts to be used on sinker jacks and to the number of plungers or other selectors used between said drum and jacks. This drum has at the base thereof a ratchet wheel I2 engageable by pawls I3 and I4 for stepped movements about the axis or pivot for the drum all as disclosed in Patent 2,052,777. A plate I5 is to be pivoted on the same support as the drum and has an arm I 6 extending to one side as shown. The plate I5 extends roarwardly of the machine to carry pawls I3 and I4 and the springs II which maintain these pawls in engagement with the ratchet wheel.

At the back of the machine has been pivoted at I8 an upwardly extending lever I9 having adjacent its upper end a follower 20 which engages certain cams 2| on the 104 tooth gear 22. A spring 23 maintains this lever and follower 20 in forward position, Fig. 1, except when cams 2| force it rearwardly against the tension of the spring. An adjustable link 24 connects at 25 to the upper end of lever I9 and at 26 to one end of a two armed lever 2! pivoted on the circular base of the machine at 28. Another link 29 connects at 30 to the outer end of lever 21 and at 3I to the arm I 6 by means of which plate I5 is to be oscillated to and fro for ratcheting the pattern drum as desired.

Normally a stop 32 is held in the position of Figs. 1 and 4 to limit the movement of arm I6 by contact of projecting stud 33, or the upper end thereof, with said stop to assure that movements of plate I5 and pawls I3 and I4 are of such magnitude that they engage only one tooth of ratchet I2 at a time. Stop 32 is controlled by a lever 34 which is pivotable on an auxiliary base and is controlled as to its position by means of hell crank lever 35 engageable at its upper end within a slot at the outer end of lever 34. Another lever 36 pivoted at 31 is connected by means of a link 38 to lever 39 pivoted at 40 to a bracket 4I attached to the side of the frame and held against the drum or cam by spring 39'. This lever 39 has a toe 42 engageable with a cam or cams such as 43 on the periphery of cam drum 44. A pin 45 at the free end of lever 36 engages within a slot as shown at the end of the horizontal part of lever 35. By means of cams such as 43 on drum 44, the stop 32 may be swung to the position shown in Fig. 4 or allowed to swing outwardly therefrom so that plate I5 and pawls I3 and I4 move to such an extent as to engage more than one tooth on the ratchet wheel I2. This is desirable in the production of some patterns, similar mechanism for accomplishing the same result being evident in Patent 2,052,777.

In these same Figs. 1 and 4, part of the mechanism which controls the horizontal striper drum is mounted at the rear of the machine on a shaft 41 and is to be ratcheted by means of a pawl 48 pivoted at 49 and spring pressed against a ratchet wheel 50. This pawl 43 is secured to the lower end of an arm 5| which is in turn capable of swinging about a pivot 52 at its upper end. This arm 5I carries a follower which is to engage a cam or cams at the other side of the 104 tooth gear 22. These latter elements are not shown, nor is the spring which moves arm SI in opposition to the forward movements of the pawl illustrated since this mechanism is not essential to the case and is merely shown and described to some extent since it is incidentally a part of the machine involved. Depending upon the number of cams upon gear 22, the pawl 48 may move the striper drum during each course or during a plurality of courses. If four cams are to be used the drum could be moved during single courses. For the purpose of further varying the number of courses intervening between changes in horizontal stripes, an extension 53 is fixed at the upper end of the pattern drum II and carries one or more rows of cam buttons or the like 54. A bell crank having one arm 55 and a toe portion 56 and another arm 5! is pivoted at 58 to a bracket 59. A link 60 is attached at 6| to the outer end of arm 51 and conveys motion imparted to the bell crank by contact of the toe 56 with the cam buttons on extension 53 through another bell crank 62 mounted on an upright 63 and through link 64 to a sector 65 which carries a blufier plate 66 which may be moved under the pawl to prevent its engagement with any of the teeth on wheel 50. Thus if the striper drum were to be ratcheted once for every revolution of gear 22, that is, every four courses, the stripes might be extended to any multiple of four courses by intervention of the blufier plate 66. The plate is moved under the pawl when toe 56 is out of engagement with a cam button and, when in engagement with a cam button, will be moved to the position illustrated in Fig. 1.

It will be noted that there are two rows of cam buttons on extension 53 and that the bell crank lever may be raised or lowered to present the toe 56 within the plane of either row of buttons. The bracket 59 is tubular and carries therein a spindle 67 to the top of which the bell crank lever is really pivoted. Bracket 59, or the tubular extension thereof, is slotted as shown at 68 and a pin 69 engages within said slot and is threaded into the spindle 6I. Angular movements of the spindle raise it and the bell crank lever throughout an extent governed by the cam action of slot 68 on pin 69. This angular movement of spindle 61 is controlled by a cam or cams depending upon the desired movements of the bell crank lever from one row of buttons to the other, one such cam being shown at ID. This cam I0 works on the toe II of a lever I2 pivoted at I2 to the side of the frame I. A rod I3 extends upwardly from a connection (not shown) at the inside of lever '12 and engages a cell crank lever I4 pivoted at I5 on a bracket I6, the other end of the bell crank lever being connected by means of a link I! to lever I8 fixed to the lower end of spindle 61. When the toe II of lever I2 is raised upon a cam as illustrated in Fig. 1, the bell crank lever mounted on spindle 61 will be moved down to the lower row of buttons; whenever the toe drops from cam ID a spring I3 will return that follower II to the face of drum I9 whereupon the bell crank lever will be raised thereby to present the lever 55 to the upper row of cam buttons. For example, one row of these buttons may control striping in the leg of a stocking while the other row may effect the knitting of difierent stripes throughout the foot.

The striper must be reset or retimed at certain intervals such as at the beginning of each individual stocking knitted, and cam I8 on drum I9 will control this retiming by means of lever I2 as extended at and the attached extension BI pivoted at 82 to that extension. A spring 83 maintains extension 8| in upright position and causes a notch therein to engage pin 84.

Pin 84 is threaded into an arm 85 which extends fromsector 65 so that in the position of Fig. 1, cam I8, lever I2 and extension 8| hold the sector and bluffer plate 66 out from under pawl 48. At this time the machine will be knitting in some portion of the stocking wherein the striping yarns are not being fed (they will be controlled by means of the usual finger control on the main cam shaft) and the striper drum will rotate idly. When the arm 86 fixed to spindle 41 rotates around to a point where it will strike the beveled edge 81 of the extension 8|, the mechanism will be tripped so that the bluffer plate will be allowed to move under the influence of the cam buttons 54 and other actuating mechanism. At the end of knitting in the toe, cam I8 will run past follower II and lever I2 and extension 8| will move away under the influence of spring 85' from any possible position in which the pin 84 might engage the notch in the extension. This striping control is not described in greater detail since it is not an essential part of the reverse plating control herein described and claimed, but is merely a part of the machine herein illustrated and stockings knitted on the machine may be ornamented by plating and reverse plating and also be characterized by horizontal stripes of varying length. The horizontal striping may be carried on independently of the reverse plating and vice versa.

Now referring to Figs. 4, 5, 6, '7, 8 and 9 it will be seen that the drum II carrying cam plate or discs 88 which are shown in some detail in Fig. 8 is positioned adjacent a series of pivoted levers 89, Fig. 4, there being one lever for each cam plate. The end of each of levers 89 is formed to engage with butts on the cam plates or discs, these butts being closely adjacent one another and capable of being broken off at intervals to make up some sort of desired pattern. Butts are illustrated at 98, Fig. 8, on the bottom plate or disc, the other discs being shown in section. A spacing ring 9| is inserted between each of the plates and is of a diameter greater than the outside diameter of the plates before butts are broken off. This assures that the butt engaging ends of levers 89 remain in alignment with the butts of their respective plates on discs. This is quite essential since relatively thin butts and levers are used and since they are so closely spaced that slight deviations would cause a lever to be afiected by the butts of one other plate than the one intended. Of course, each of these plates or discs is maintained in fixed position on the drum II and necessarily rotates with that drum due to a locating key between the plates and the hub of the drum.

Now referring especially to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, a bracket 92 attached by suitable means to the base of the machine has a plate 93 and uprights 94 and 95 attached thereto, the plate being fixed to the bracket 92, each of the uprights 94, 95 being slotted vertically as at 96. Each upright has a plurality of spacers 91 constructed as thin strips which maintain the levers 89 in alignthe extreme thinness of the plungers.

ment and keep them spaced one from another. The top and bottom strips or spacers 98 and 99 are thicker than, the intermediate strips, although this is not an essential characteristic of the construction. The spacers are maintained in position by pins I88 and I8I at the free end of the levers, Fig. 4, and at the other end a somewhat similar set of spacers are provided which are maintained -in position by pins I82 and I83. A cap I84 is attached by suitable screws or other connections to the upperends of the uprights 94 and 95, and a stud I85 is threaded into plate 93, being secured by a check nut I86 and having its upper end projecting through and guided within an opening in the cap I84. This stud serves as a pivot for the levers 89 each of which is provided with a hole at about the center point thereof.

A second pair of uprights I 81 and I88 are secured to the part of plate 93 which extends in a direction more or less at right angles to the part to which the levers are attached. These uprights are likewise slotted and are provided with a series of spacers I89 which are arranged as shown in Fig. 6, at an incline, the plungers II8 being restrained between these inclined spacers or strips and being capable of sliding between them so as to move to and from the cylinder. Each of the plungers II8 has a notch III cut at the side thereof within which a reduced end I2 of a corresponding lever engages. The ends of the levers and the slots are formed in a manner to provide a working joint or socket so that movements imparted to the free ends of the levers 89 as they move in response to the absence or presence of butts 98, will cause sliding movements of the plungers 8 to engage or fail to engage butts on knitting instrumentalities, in this instance butts on sinker jacks.

The plungers II8 are provided with extensions H3, H4 and H5 varying in length as shown in Fig. 4. Springs H8, H1 and H8 also varying in length attached to pins I9 and to the extensions-tend to maintain their respective plungers inwardly toward the needle circle except when moved outwardly as levers 89 ride upon butts 98. The extensions II3II5 and varying lengthed springs II6--I I8 provide a spring for each plunger and must be staggered as shown due to The staggering in length of extensions and springs follows in sequence throughout groups of three plungers. One pin II9 serves for three springs. Only one group has been shown as that is illustrative of the arrangement which is merely duplicated throughout the entire assembly of plungers.

Each plunger is provided with a notch I28, Fig. 4, and an angularly bent strip I2I attached by suitable connecting means such as screws I22 to the upright I88 engages these notches to limit the inward movements of the plungers. The adjustment is such that when moved outwardly plungers will be withdrawn well out of range of any butts they might contact, but when lever 89 moves off a butt 98, the inward movement of the corresponding plunger will be stopped by engagement of one end of notch I28 with the angular stopping element I2I. The screws I22 pass through slots in the stop I2I so that the latter may be adjusted to and from the needle circle, this adjustment being facilitated and maintained by screws I23 and check nut I24. It is very essential that the plungers engage to a proper depth between the butts on jacks, this adjustment being rather close due to the fineness of those butts.

Additional control is provided whereby all plungers may be withdrawn from engagement with Jack butts whenever it is desired to discontinue control of sinkers for patterning. Referring to Figs. 2, 4 and 6, we have shown a roller I 25 having a flattened side I26 and reduced ends I21 and I28 which pass through cap I04 and plate 93 and bracket 92, respectively. To the lower reduced and I28 is fixed an arm I29 projecting outwardly in the path of one end I30 of a bell crank lever which is pivoted at I3I to an upstanding bracket I32, and has a more or less horizontally disposed arm I33. This latter arm I33 has connected to its free end a downwardly extending rod I34 which attaches at its lower end to a lever I35 pivoted on a stud I36 projecting from the machine. This lever engages a cam or cams such as I31 and I38 on drum I39 rotatable with shaft 1. Whenever the toe of lever I35 rides up on a cam such as the cams I31 and I38, the bell crank will be moved in a direction to engage the arm I29 and turn the flat sided roller until one corner of the flattened side pushes against levers 89 and automatically moves them in a direction to withdrawall the plungers. Cam drum II may continue to be racked or not, the effect on levers 89 and plungers IIO being nil in either instance. The withdrawal of plungers would, of course, occur at such times as no control of reverse plating was desired. Cams I31 and I38 would vary in size and position according to that condition.

We will now describe the sinker assembly, the sinkers and jacks, and the various cams which function upon them as well as the manner in which the selectors IIO control the reverse plating. In Figs. 4 and '7 through I a sinker and jack carrying head is shown at I40 attached in the usual way to the upper end of cylinder 2. This sinker head is slotted for the reception of these sinkers and jacks as illustrated in Fig. 7, and those slots align with other slots in a stitch ring I4I within which the inner ends of the sinkers and their jacks are guided. The sinkers are shown at I42 having the usual throats, nibs. etc., over which plated and reverse plated stitches may be drawn in accordance with Hemphill Patent 2,052,777. Each of the sinkers projects rearwardly having a butt I43 and an extension I44 behind the butt. The jacks are generally designated by number I45 and have a forwardly extending stem or shank I46 upon which the sinker rests and is free to slide. A butt I41 prevents withdrawal of a jack beyond a safe position. The jack extends upwardly and downwardly in a widened portion to carry a plurality of saw-tooth butts I48, one of which is shown on each jack illustrated. In addition to the sawtooth butt I48 an upwardly extending part of the jack I49 carries another removable butt I50. The saw-tooth butts I48 and butt I50 are to be controlled by the plungers H0, and number the same total as the number of plungers, in this illustration, there are 25 plungers and 25 butts under control of those plungers. The 25 pattern butts are made up of the 24 saw tooth butts I48 and the single butt I50 at the top. These butts are to be broken oil or removed in any convenient way, and it is to be understood that we are not limited to 25 steps or butts but may use any convenient number. The topmost butt I50 might for some purposes be a saw-tooth butt as are those remaining, but in the form of the invention herein illustrated this butt serves in the knitting of a plain sole of a stocking as well as for selective purposes. Just in front of this extension I49 the widened part or the jack presents a shoulder I5I against which the extension I44 on the sinker may rest. When in such a position the sinker will be moved forward by the jacks as the jack is selected in accordance with a system to be described. Part way between this shoulder and the upwardly extending portion I48 is an inclined butt I52 which moves selected jacks forwardly and also retains them in an upper or elevated position as will be described.

The ring or flange I53 is attached at the bottom to an annular guard I54 and extends around the head throughout about two-thirds the circumference. The guard I54 is connected to the cap or ring I55 to which most of the various sinker and jack cams are fixed. Angular brackets I56 at opposite sides of the machine and bracket I51 which carries the bumper stops serve to connect this cap or ring I55 with the an nular guard I54. The guard is cut away throughout a little more than one-third the sinker head assembly to provide for actuation of the jacks when they are being selected and are moving in accordance with the dictates of the several cams which control them. The flange I53 is likewise cut away at that portion of the machine. See Fig. for a section of these parts wherein they are not cut away and the other figures, 1 and III5 showing them as cut away.

The sinkers are normally controlled by cams I58, I59, I60, |6I and I52. Cam I58 is attached to the underside of the cap or ring I55 and merely serves to hold the sinkers inwardly as they are usually held to maintain stitches down on the needles. Cam I59 is in part an extension of cam I58 and overlaps that cam but has operating portion I63 for casting off stitches during reverse strokes in reciprocatory knitting, the usual construction. The center sinker cam I6I serves the usual purpose of moving sinkers outwardly previous to the time stitches are to be measured over their throats and has an indented part I64 to allow for the inward movement of those sinkers or such ones of the sinkers as are to control reverse plating, that is, are to have their stitches drawn over the backs of nibs. This indentation allows the sinker butts I43 to move inwardly without interference. Cam I62 controls the casting ofi by its active surface I65 in the usual manner during forward strokes of knitting or plain rotary work. All these cams are attached to the ring I55 in the usual manner. Cam I60 is primarily for the purpose of controlling jacks, but its inner surface may act as a sort of guard cam for the sinkers. Cams I62 and I58 overlap as at I66 in the same manner cams I58 and I59 overlap at the opposite side of the machine.

Now that the sinker controlling cams have been described, we will describe the various cams which function at the selection of jacks and in the movement of jacks to control sinkers for reverse plating. For this description reference is made to Figs. 4, 5 and 7 through 15. sinkers are controlled as above described except at such times as they are to be pushed in at an earlier time than usual to control the drawing of reverse plated loops. Most of the cams which control the sinker jacks are attached to the cap or ring I55, but some of the cams are attached to the plate 93, Fig. 5, while others are attached to a cap I61 fixed to the upright I08 and to another cap I68 in turn attached to the upright I 01. Thus some of the cams are part of the selecting assembly and are attached to the mechanism wherein plungers III] are retained. Of course this plunger assembly is located adjacent the sinker head as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The cap I61 is adjustable to or from the center of the cylinder by meansof screws I69 which are threaded into element I61 and through slots in the other cap or element I58.

Now referring to Figs. 7, 9 and 10, sinker jacks are retained in the position shown in Fig. T except throughout a little more than a third of the circumference of the sinker assembly, or throughout that are wherein selecting movements and sinker actuating movements are imparted as shown by the letters A, B, C, D, E and F. Correspending sections are likewise designated by the same numerals throughout Figs. 10-15. In that so called idle position which prevails throughout the greater part of the travel of sinkers and jacks, circumferentially of the machine, the outer ends of those' jacks are maintained in raised position and likewise tilt the sinkers which are held inwardly by cam I58. The upper extensions I59 and butts I59 of the jacks pass through an open annular space I19, Fig. 7, and through slots provided at the underside of the elements I55 and I51. The shoulders II are not in contact with the extensions IN on the sinkers, but the jacks are maintained inwardly as far as they may go without interference between butt I52 and cam I58 and with the sawtooth butt I98 at the bottom of the jack. if there is a butt at that position, suitably clearing the guard I59. The jack is maintained in tilted position by a ledge ill on the flange I55. That flange is out out as shown to allow passage of the lowermost portion of the jack adjacent the lower butt I98 as shown in Fig. 10.

The condition above described with respect to Fig. prevails up to and slightly beyond the general location A, Fig. '1, and until the inclined butts I52 of the jacks engage the pointed end of a cam I12 which is integrally formed as a part of a cam plate I13, in turn attached to cap I55 by means of suitable screws I13 or other connecting means. This cam I12 projects downwardly from the plate I13 as shown in Fig. 11 and has a correspondingly inclined lower part which engages the inclined butt in a manner to hold the jack in an upper or raised position, that is, in its tilted position. The outer edge of this cam I12 presses against the extension I49 on the jack to move it outwardly while the inclined part of the said cam and the inclined butt interengage to maintain such tilted position. of course, there is a working clearance for the cams to pass between the butt I52 and extension I59. This movement of the jacks has no influence on the sinkers themselves, since they are engaged by cam I59 and pass about the machine in substantially the same attitude which has prevailed since they were withdrawn slightly after casting off.

After all sinker jacks have been withdrawn by cam I12, they encounter a second cam I14, see Figs. 5, '1 and 9, which is integral with cam I15, both being attached by the screws I to the cap I61. As seen in Fig. 5, cam I15 engages the extensions I49 to maintain jacks in the outer position to which they were moved by cam I12 while the cam I14 serves to push downwardly on the top of those extensions and to tilt those jacks and corresponding sinkers down to the position shown in Fig. 5. In that position both the jack and the sinker are substantially horizontally disposed. The plate 93 carries another pair of cams I16 and I11, Figs. 5 and 9, which prevent any overtravel of the jacks in a downward direction, or to express it in another way, the cams I14 and I15 at the top, and I16 and I11 at the bottom, level up the jacks just prior to the position C at which they encounter plungers III) for selection and hold them outwardly as they are selected. Now those jacks which have a butt I48 in line with a plunger I I9, which is at the time moved inwardly to a selecting position, will be raised from the path I18 to the path I19, Fig. 9. Other jacks will pass along in the lower pathway. The purpose of this raising or preliminary selecting movement of the plungers is to engage the inclined butts I52 with a second correspondingly beveled cam I89 which will impart an inward movement to those selected jacks and will at the same time maintain them in an elevated position. The action at point C under the influence of plunger H8 is illustrated in section at Fig. 12. Fig. 13 shows the cam I89 having engaged the inclined butts I52 and after selected jacks have been pushed in to a considerable extent. That position corresponds to point D.

Cam I99 is adjustable circumferentially of the sinker assembly so that its leading edge may be properly adjusted to receive the inclined butts I52 as the jacks are lifted by plunger H9. This adjustment is provided by the screws I8I which pass through slots in cap I61 and are threaded into the topmost part I92 or the body portion of the cam.

Those jacks which have been selected now pass along at the elevated position, being held in that position since they are frictioned within their slots, while the sinkers themselves are pushed inwardly slightly by the casting ofi point of cam I59. After passing that casting off point, which is, of course, only used for casting off in reciprocatory work, the sinkers are moved outwardly by center sinker cam I9I. In the meantime the inclined butts I52 have engaged another beveled cam I93 formed on the under side of the cam I59. Cam I89 left these jacks in proper position to engage this cam I83. As the sinkers were moved outwardly by cam I5I, the extensions I59 thereon will practically engage with the shoulders I5I whereupon further inward movement of those jacks under the influence of cam I83, see Figs. '1 and 14, will push those sinkers which are to control reverse plating inwardly at such a position that the stitches will be drawn over the nibs rather than in front of them. This occurs at about the position E, Fig. '7, and some of the sinkers can be seen in this early advanced position. Butts I43 clear cam ISI due to the indentation I64 therein. Those sinkers that were not in to control reverse plating pass along until they engage the working surface I65 of the cast off cam I52 whereupon they will cast oil 'the previously drawn loops. Of course, those sinkers which were pushed in at an early period for the purpose of controlling the reverse plating will cast oif their previously drawn stitches along with the other sinkers at the point of cam I62 as soon as needles move downwardly, this being in accordance with the usual practice in such sinker reverse plating.

Jacks which were moved in to effect reverse plating are now left by cam I83 in a position which is substantially that of Fig. 14; other jacks still pass along at the lower level I18 being at the outermost position shown in Figs. 5, 13 and 14.

Cam I62 by means of an outer working surface I84 will move all jacks which effected reverse plating outwardly so that they move out to join the jacks which did not cause sinkers to reverse plate. This cam I84 also has a beveled end, see Figs. '7 and 16, which serves to sink all of these jacks which are being moved outwardly and to lower them from the pathway I19 to the pathway I18. Then cam I86 which is an extension of the flange I53 will raise all of the jacks as shown in Fig. 9 from the lower to the higher level whereupon they will engage cam I85 which, acting upon the inclined butts, will move them inwardly to the so-called inactive position. This completes a description of the mechanism and its function in controlling plating and reverse plating during rotary knitting.

In reciprocatory work it is not desirable to reverse plate as in the rotary work, but it is essential that the sinker jacks be controlled properly during those reciprocations. During the forward strokes, that is, reciprocations in a counterclockwise direction, the jacks are moved outwardly by cam I12, downwardly by cam I14, but are not selected since plungers III) are all withdrawn from a butt engaging position; all of the said jacks will then pass around in that outermost position at level I18 until they encounter cams I 85 and I86 whereupon they will be lifted and then returned inwardly as in the knitting previously described. On the reverse strokes, those in a clockwise direction, jacks will be moved outwardly by cam I 85, then downwardly to the pathway I18 by means of a beveled edge I81 at the point of cam I84 and will then be leveled in passing through cams I14 and I11 whereupon they will be raised by cam I 88 to engage the cam I12 to be moved inwardly. It will be noticed that during such knitting, cams I12 and I85 move the jacks inwardly on reverse strokes, cam I14 and beveled edge I81 move them downwardly so that the inclined butts I52 clear cams I 80 and I83, and earns I 86 and I81 raise the'jacks so that they may engage and be moved inwardly at the first mentioned cams I12 and I85.

Special mechanism has been provided for knitting parts of a. stocking without any reverse plating therein such as in the high splice or sole. Assuming that a plain sole is to be knitted on onehalf of the needles while the instep knitted on the other half of the needles is to be reverse plated, all of the jacks under sinkers which characterize the knitting of the sole would have the butt I50 left on them. The remaining jacks companion to the sinkers in the part of the machine knitting the instep would not have such butts. A cam I89 which is formed as a downwardly bent extension on a plunger I 90 will be projected inwardly to engage butts I50 during the knitting of a plain sole, high splice or any other portion of the fabric wherein patterning by means of reverse plating is to be omitted. This plunger I90 is horizontally disposed between in uprights I01 and I08. The plunger has a spring similar to that which affects the action of plungers IIO to urge it into a butt engaging position and an extending lug or projection I9I, Figs. 4 and 5, by means of which it is to be moved out of action against the tension of said spring. Now referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, cam drum I39 has a cam I92 which functions upon the toe I93 of a lever I94. Lever I94 is pivoted on stud I36 as lever I35 was, and has a rearwardly extending part I95 to which is connected a spring I96 attached to a pin I91, and of sufficient tension to maintain the toe I93 downwardy on drum I39 except at such times as it is raised by the cam I82. An upwardly extending rod I98 is attached at its lower end to the lever I94 and at its upper end to one arm I99 of the bell crank lever pivoted at 200 on the plate 93. Another offset arm 20I engages the lug I 9I and whenever said lever I94 is not engaged or influenced by a cam such as I92, spring I96 will cause movements of this linkage to withdraw the cam I89. VVhenever the toe of the lever does rise on cam I92 or any similar cam provided at a position to cause the absence of patterning in a part of the fabric, cam I89 will move inwardly to act upon the butts I50. It is to be noted that cam I89 functions immediately after jacks have been raised by plungers I I0. In operation throughoutaplain sole or the like, the cam I89 will immediately move any jacks having butts I 50 downwardly to cancel their selection before the inclined butts I52 have engaged cam I80 sufficientlytobe retained thereby in an uppermost position. Since all the sinkers which correspond to the group of needles knitting the plain sole are controlled in this way any selection of sinkers for reverse plating in that part of the knitted tube will be immediately cancelled and normal plating will result. While for example, we have mentioned an equal division of sinkers for knitting this plain sole and patterned instep, it is not by any means necessary that the division should be equal; any desirable number of sinkers may be controlled for patterning while the remainder may have their patterning tendencies cancelled, all depending upon the arrangement of butts I50.

With the method of knitting a plain sole described above one less than the full number of pattern steps is provided, that is 24 steps for pattern purposes and the extra butt I50 is used for the production of a plain sole only. It is possible to knit a plain sole or any other plain part of a knitted tube by reverse plating on all of the needles knitting in that particular portion of the fabric. To do this an additional butt such as the butt I50 would have to be provided on all sole jacks and a plunger maintained permanently in a position to engage those butts throughout the knitting of such a plain sole. One simple way of efi'ecting this result is to leave the top butt I50 on all jacks which are to knit in the plain sole, remove that butt from all the other jacks and to control the top plunger I III in such a way that it will remain in during the knitting of the plain sole or other similar part of the fabric. Thus all jacks in the sole portion will be raised to engage cam I80 and will pass inwardly to effect reverse plating. A plain sole will be formed which is reverse plated, but of a single color, whereas in the first instance the sole was formed by so-called normal plating. In this particular construction the top butts on all jacks are employed for this purpose only, that is, pattern selection is to be limited to 24 steps. In knitting a patterned leg and foot with no plain sole, all 25 steps are used.

To sum up the operation of the machine in knitting plated and reverse plated fabric, a pattern drum II is periodically ratcheted and pat tern discs or plates having butts thereon control plungers IIO through the intermediate levers 89. These plungers in turn engage certain butts I48, I50 on single jacks which are passing about the machine being retained in a sinker head and within the same slots as their companion sinkers. These jacks are moved outwardly by cam I 12, downwardly by cam I14 and are maintained at a proper level by the cams I'M and Ill. Cams "5 and "6 hold the jacks in that outward position while plungers I it! raise them as aforesaid. After being raised by plungers H0 those jacks just selected will have their inclined butts I52 engaged upon the bevelled side of cam I and will be moved inwardly to a position wherein they will next be influenced by cam I83. Cam i83 will push those jacks and incidentally the sinkers inwardly to the position for reverse plating as indicated at point E, Fig. 7. Thereafter the jacks are engaged by cam I84, moved outwardly and then downwardly to the lower pathway by means of the bevelled and i3? of the cam M6; at this position jacks which have acted to cause reverse plating join the remaining jacks which were not selected. All jacks are then raised by cam IE6 whereupon they engage cam E85 and are returned to a so-called inactive position which they occupy until the cam I12 is retracted.

If any portion of the fabric knitted as above is to be knitted plain, the cam E89 is to function upon butts 1150 on certain jacks which afiect the knitting of plain portions. Alternatively the top plungers and the uppermost butts i563 on certain of the jacks may be employed to cause reverse plating on an extended group of needles thus producing a plain sole or other plain portion of the fabric as desired above.

During reciprocatory knitting such as in'the heel and toe the jacks are controlled by cams Hi2, are moved downwardly by cam ti l, then upwardly by cam we and to the so-called idle position under the influence of cam we. The plungers MD are not in position to engage any of the butts M8 during such heel and toe knitting, but are held outwardly by the cams 837, E33, the flat sided roller i2? and other connected mechanism as described. Of course, cam me will be held outwardly at that time. On the reverse strokes the jacks are moved outwardly by cam I85, downwardly by bevelled end it? of the cam IM, then upwardly by cam I88 and are returned to idle position by the cam H2.

The invention has been described with respect to the control of a particular kind of sinker for plating and reverse plating, but it is to be understood that any satisfactory sort of sinker which is to control pattern work may be influenced by the jacks or similar i'nstrumentalities to effect the knitting .of patterned fabric. Likewise the ,principles of the invention may be applied to other objects than plating and reverse plating and may be applied to any of the usual knitting instrumentalities. In this particular disclosure the sinkers and jacks are formed as two separate and individual instrumentalities, but it is to be understood that they may be to a certain extent connected or of unitary construction.

The butt selecting plungers are herein shown as under the control of levers which are in turn influenced by a pattern drum having discs thereon. The plungers may be affected directly by the discs or by any other conventional pattern mechanism or other types of pattern drums or pattern mechanism may be caused to engage the levers or plungers.

The principles of the invention herein are applied to a rotary needle cylinder machine, but it is to be understood that they apply equally to stationary cylinder machines or to other types of machines than hosiery or circular machines. The invention is defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An independent needle knitting machine having knitting instrumentalities including needles and sinkers, means for cooperating with the sinkers including jacks having a plurality ofremovable selecting butts and a butt for imparting movements to the jacks transversely of the needles, a cam normally out of engagement with said butt for imparting the transverse movements, and selecting means for functioning upon said removable butts directly to raise said jacks until the butt for imparting transverse movements engages the cam.

2. A circular, independent needle knitting machine having in combination knitting instrumentalities including needles and sinkers, means for moving said sinkers transversely of the needles for effecting reverse plating including jacks individual to the sinkers, said jacks having a butt thereon for imparting transverse movements and a plurality of removable selecting butts, a cam for engaging the butt on jacks for imparting transverse movements to them, and a plurality of superimposed selecting instrumentalities functioning upon said removable selecting butts and constructed directly to move selected jacks so that the butt for imparting transverse movements will engage the cam.

3. A circular, independent needle knitting machine having in combination knitting instrumentalities including needles and sinkers, means for imparting transverse movements to the sinkers for effecting reverse plating of certain stitches including jacks individual to the sinkers, said jacks having associated therewith means including a cam, a cooperating abutment on the jack for imparting transverse movements and a plurality of removable butts, and means for engaging said cam with the abutment, including a plurality of superimposed, inclined selecting instrumentalities movable to and from a position to engage said selecting butts and operable directly to raise said jacks until the abutments engage said cam, and pattern means for so moving said instrumentalities.

4. In a knitting machine, the combination of knitting instrumentalities including needles and sinkers, jacks functioning on said sinkers for controlling the knitting of plated and reverse plated fabric, an inclined butt and a plurality of removable selecting butts on each jack, 9. bevelled cam for engagement with said inclined butt so constructed as to hold raised jacks in elevated position, and a plurality of superimposed inclined selecting instrumentalities for engaging said selecting butts and imparting a preliminary selective movement to jacks for engaging the inclined butt thereon with said bevelled cam.

5. A circular, independent needle knitting machine having in combination knitting instrumentalities including needles and sinkers, said sinkers being adapted to control the formation of normally plated and reversely plated loops, jacks for imparting reverse plating movements to the sinkers, an inclined butt and a series of frangible selecting butts on each jack, a cam for engaging said inclined butt and having a bevelled edge whereby jacks having their inclined butt engaged with said cam will be moved inwardly and will be maintained in raised position, a plurality of superimposed, inclined selecting plungers and pattern means for controlling the position of said plungers for raising some of the jacks to engage theinclined butt with the cam as described.

6. A knitting machine having therein knitting instrumentalities including needles and sinkers, said sinkers being adapted to control the knitting of normal and reversely plated loops, jacks individual to the sinkers and for controlling them to eiIect reverse plating, a series of cams for moving said jacks in an inactive pathway, another series of cams for moving said jacks in an active pathway, and a series'of selecting instrumentalities so constructed and arranged that engagement of any selecting instrumentalities with a butt on a jack will immediately and directly raise the jack from the inactive to the active pathway.

7. In a knitting machine the combination of knitting instrumentalities including needles and sinkers, jacks for controlling sinkers to effect the knitting of reverse plated stitches, a series of cams for functioning upon said jacks to control them throughout an inactive pathway and a series of cams for acting upon selected jacks for imparting to those jacks the necessary movements incidental to the control of sinkers during reverse plating, a plurality of inclined selecting instrumentalities engageable with frangible selecting butts on the jacks for directly raising said jacks from the inactive to the active pathway, and a cam for engaging a butt common to all of a group of jacks for directly returning them to the inactive pathway after they have been selected and before they are subjected to the action of cams which control them during reverse plating.

8. A jack for a knitting machine of the type described having a shank, a shoulder for engagement with the end of a sinker, an inclined butt for imparting transverse movements and maintaining the jack in elevated position, and a plurality of removable selecting butts for the purpose described.

9. A jack for use in knitting machines the type described including a shank, a shoulder for engagement with a sinker, an inclined butt for imparting transverse movements to the jack and maintaining it in an elevated position, and a plurality of frangible, saw-tooth butts for imparting to the jack the necessary selecting movements.

10. A jack for use in knitting machines of the type described including a shank, a widened portion carrying a plurality of removable selecting butts, a shoulder on said shank, an inclined butt for imparting transverse movements to the jack and for retaining it in a raised position, and an extension above said widened portion and adjacent said inclined butt for moving said jack in opposition to the movements imparted through said inclined butt.

11. A jack for use in knitting machines of the type described including a shank, a widened portion having a plurality of removable selecting butts, means for imparting transverse movements to the jack and for maintaining it at a predetermined elevation including an inclined butt and an extension adjacent said inclined butts.

12. A jack for use in knitting machines of the type described including a shank, a shoulder, a widened portion having a plurality of removable selecting butts, the topmost butt being 0! rectangular shape while those remaining butts are of a saw-tooth type, and an inclined butt for imparting transverse movements to said jack and for engagement with an inclined surface for holding the jack in an elevated position.

13. In a knitting machine, the combination of a sinker actuating jack and a sinker to be actuated thereby, a plurality of selecting butts on said jack and pattern means selectivelyengageable with said butts for raising said jack, an inclined butt and an extension adjacent said inclined butt on the jack, a cam having a bevelled portion for engagement between said inclined butt and extension, the construction being such that when engaged with said bevelled cam, the butt and extension maintain the jack in an elevated position.

14. A circular independent needle knitting machine having in combination knitting instrumentalities including needles and sinkers, said sinkers being adapted to control the formation of normally plated and reversely plated loops, jacks individual to said sinkers and operable to control them to determine the formation of normal or reversely plated loops, an abutment on each jack ,and a cam normally in a position not to be engaged by said abutments, but so constructed as to be engaged and to hold said jack in an elevated position when a jack and its abutment are raised selectively, said cam eifecting a radial movement of jacks and-their individual sinkers when thus selectively raised, and selecting means including a plurality of removable butts on said jacks and a plurality of selecting means inclined and constructed directly to raise those jacks the butts of which are engaged, so as to engage the abutment thereon with the cam.

15. In a knitting machine the combination of jacks, an inclined butt on said jacks, a plurality of removable selecting butts, an abutment adjacent said inclined butt, a cam engageable between said inclined butt and the abutment, the construction being such that when said cam is selectively engaged by said inclined butt and adjacent abutment, it will be irreleasably held in operative relationship therewith.

ROBERT H. LAWSON. ISAAC H. C. GREEN. ARTHUR C. LANGLEY. 

